Summa Health System offers the services of surgeons who have special training in minimally invasive weight loss surgery and have collectively performed more than 1,000 weight loss procedures.
The Bariatric Care Center’s comprehensive, team-based approach to weight loss management focuses on your individual needs – by providing the support and tools you need to achieve your weight loss goals.
Making all of the necessary changes after surgery can be challenging. We know it isn’t easy – but you don’t have to do it alone.
Our Bariatric Care Center team can provide you with the support and tools you need to conquer whatever obstacles have prevented you from losing weight in the past.
Surgeons
The bariatric surgical team is led by John Zografakis, MD, FACS, Director of Advanced Laparoscopic and Surgical Services at Summa Health System. Dr. Zografakis is a board-certified general surgeon who has also completed fellowship training in advanced laparoscopic and bariatric surgery.
John Zografakis, MD, FACS
Director, Bariatric Care Center
Bariatric, General Surgery
John G. Zografakis, MD, FACS is board certified in general surgery and fellowship trained in advanced laparoscopic and bariatric surgery at Evanston Northwestern Healthcare. He specializes in abdominal laparoscopic surgery, minimally invasive weight loss surgery (Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass, Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding, Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomoy, and revisional surgeries), laparoscopic treatment of abdominal/inguinal hernias, and laparoscopic colon resection for both benign and malignant disease.
Adrian G. Dan, MD, FACS
Associate Director Bariatric Care Center
Bariatric, General Surgery
Adrian G. Dan, MD is board certified in general surgery and fellowship trained in advanced laparoscopic and bariatric surgery at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. He specializes in abdominal laparoscopic surgery, minimally invasive weight loss surgery (Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass and Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding, Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomoy, and revisional surgeries), laparoscopic treatment of abdominal/inguinal hernias, and laparoscopic colon resection for both benign and malignant disease.
Mark Pozsgay, DO
Surgeon
Bariatric, General Surgery
Mark Pozsgay, DO is board certified in general surgery and fellowship trained in advanced laparoscopic and bariatric surgery at the Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC. He specializes in abdominal laparoscopic surgery, minimally invasive weight loss surgery (Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass, Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding, Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomoy, and revisional surgeries), laparoscopic treatment of abdominal/inguinal hernias, and laparoscopic colon resection for both benign and malignant disease.
Kenneth W Wells, MD
Medical Director, Medical Weight Loss Program
Internal Medicine
"My goal as a physician is to reeducate people, so they are able to be healthy and thrive," said Dr. Wells. "With regular exercise, people are more fit and age more gracefully."
Program Team
Our team also consists of a program director, registered nurse case manager, dietitian, exercise physiologist/physical therapist and financial counselor.
Bariatric Program Nurse Practitioner
Noelle Bothe R.N, M.S.N, FNP-BC
Program Director
Kay Hawn, MBA, MSN
In January 2004, Kay Hawn joined Summa as the program director for the new Advanced Bariatric Care and Weight Loss Management Program. Ms. Hawn brings 19 years of healthcare experience to the position. In addition to the extensive administrative experience, she has a clinical background in acute care, chronic/rehabilitative care, pediatrics and home care. Ms. Hawn received an M.S.N. from Case Western Reserve University in 1988 and an MBA from John Carroll University in 1997. Ms. Hawn has a daughter and resides in University Heights.
Case Manager
Debbie Pasini, R.N., BSN
Once authorization for surgery has been obtained, Debbie is responsible for coordinating the schedule for surgery and all of the pieces that go along with that.
Debbie Pasini joined Summa in February 2004 as the RN case manager for the Advanced Bariatric Care and Weight Loss Management Program. Ms. Pasini brings 26 years of healthcare experience to Summa. She has worked in both hospital and home care settings and has experience in acute care nutrition support, bariatric and home infusion therapy. Ms. Pasini received her bachelors of science in nursing from West Virginia Wesleyan College in 1978. She is married, has two sons and currently resides in Copley.
Registered Dietitian
Laura Ilg, RD
Once you have enrolled in the program, the dietitian will talk to you about your current food habits and dieting history, your previous behaviors, your expectations about surgery and about the changes that you will need to make after surgery.
Financial Services Representative
Bev Hendrickson
Once your surgeon has evaluated you, Bev will make sure that you understand your insurance benefits for weight loss surgery, that your insurance has been verified, and that you can move quickly and easily through the process.
Bev joined the Department of Bariatric Care in May, 2004. Prior to joining us, she spent 14 years at Summa working as a secretary in OB/GYN. Bev tells us she was interested in working in bariatric care because she was ready for a new challenge in her life. She loves her job because she feels we are a "true team", which is so important in a specialty such as ours. Bev has been married to Eric for 25 years, and has two children – Amanda, who is 15, and Eric, who is 21, and who is also an employee of Summa. She grew up in Cuyahoga Falls, and currently resides in Manchester. Her favorite thing to do when she isn't hard at work for all of our patients is spending time with her family!
